IBM Corp has been revealing more details about the Java capabilities it is adding to its Intelligent Decision Server information analysis software. The work, currently still in an early design phase, is not likely to hit the market until late in 1998. The new Java version will enable users to construct and deploy Java Beans software components, and use a palette function to build such components as text tools, e-mail and spreadsheets, into larger decision support applications which can then be run on any system supporting the Java Virtual Machine. IDS, which originates from IBM’s acquisition of Metaphor Computer Systems Inc in the early 1990s, is designed for setting up decision support applications and analyzing data held in data warehouses. The primary file server portion of the software runs under OS/2, although IBM offers client software for Windows NT, Windows 95, AIX and Solaris, as well as OS/2. IBM first released the product back in October 1996, and last month saw the release of a beta version 1.02, currently being tested by 14 companies, including BellSouth Corp and UK electrical goods high street retailer Dixons Plc. The new version has front-end support for 32-bit ODBC, and also features multi-lingual features, important because IBM is finding that 60% of its sales on the product are coming from outside the US. Meanwhile, IBM says it will shortly be coming out with a commercial 2.0 release of its Intelligent Miner data mining software (CI No 3,002), also currently under beta testing. It will initially come with a set of eight algorithms for performing specific types of analysis. IBM’s also touting a set of industry specific templates covering areas such as insurance fraud detection, utilities and retail. Initial platforms supported are Windows NT, AIX and various flavors of Unix.
